Ely Easy in Juniata County Fair Opener

PORT ROYAL, Pa. (September 5, 2015) – Nearly 100 racecars packed the Port Royal Speedway pit area on Saturday night to kickstart the 161st annual Juniata County Fair with Dave Ely outlasting Ryan Taylor and Greg Hodnett for the $3,200 payday in the 25-lap sprint car feature. It was his third career win at the track.

Ely of West Lawn started third in the 410 sprint main with Curt Stroup and Blane Heimbach sharing the front row.

Richfield’s Stroup took the lead at the start with Heimbach second but Ely blasted into the runner up spot on the second tour.

Stroup was holding sway over the pack on the eighth tour when the red flag appeared for a flipped Davey Sammons on the frontchute.

Sammons was running fifth at the time, battling with Greg Hodnett for the spot when he impacted the outside fence as he raced to the outside of Hodnett to defend the spot.

Both Hodnett and Aaron Ott shuffled Heimbach backward on the restart before Heimbach fell out of the race while sixth starter Ryan Taylor advanced around Stroup for second on the 12th lap.

Stroup’s left rear tire exploded on the 13th tour and Hodnett lined up third for the restart.

But Taylor protected his turf for second over the last half of the race as both he and Ely kept ahead of Hodnett.

They leaders entered the rear of the pack with five laps to go but Ely kept up his pace to record the win by 1.166 seconds at the finish.

Taylor was second followed by Hodnett, Ott and 12th starter Brent Marks.